In the “Apology,” Plato recalls the prosecution of his master, Socrates, and the arguments he uses to defend himself against accusations of exploiting the youth and not recognizing the gods of the state while at the same time creating new divinities. By the end of the trial, Socrates is convicted and sentenced to death but was given an opportunity to admit wrongdoing to avoid execution. He chose not to compromise his belief by fervently insisting that if life is not examined and questioned, it does not serve a purpose. Essentially, Socrates states that every human hold certain convictions and must stay true to oneself no matter what others think. In “Self-Reliance,” R.W. Emerson equally affirms the importance of pursuing one’s own ideas and intuition rather than adhering to popular conformities. He explains that complying to public opinion results in a waste of life. Emerson further declares that one should not remain consistent with past beliefs and actions, even one’s own, but rather, continually reevaluate them. In addition, Emerson stresses that one must have …show more content…
Socrates and Emerson argue that an ideal society arises from trusting one’s own abilities and using that to challenge popular societal conformities; I agree and would add people, such as Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King Jr., who had voiced their revolutionary ideas and viewpoints that contradicted many opinions and societal norms at that time, were keen to rely on